26 April 2012

Whole bean or ground

When Walt Disney World opened and into its second decade in the 1980’s,
a cup of Maxwell House could appease even the most finicky of coffee drinkers.
Yet, since the early 1990’s our coffee IQ has come up as a whole. Espresso beverages
became more and more the norm and a regular cup of joe just didn’t seem to cut
it, in Walt Disney World or otherwise. Word came down this week that Starbucks
would be making its way into the six domestic Disney parks. As I don’t drink
coffee, I thought I’d reach out to someone who has coffee streaming through her
veins, my wife, Aileen.

Hello Main Street Gazette readers! I am here today to discuss one of
the great loves of my life…coffee. Finding drinkable coffee while at Walt
Disney World has been one of my biggest struggles. In fact, after my first trip
as an adult, we had to add coffee and the other accompaniments that go along
with it to our packing list so that I was prepared in the morning. I was
utterly shocked that a resort location with the size and reputation of Walt
Disney World had such a shameful selection of coffee products.

Whenever I forgot to bring coffee on our trip, it ended up being a
fight to figure out how I was going to find something that would satisfy, usually
ending with a trip to Kona Café at the Polynesian Resort or The Swan and
Dolphin.

However,
my constant complaining and prayers to the coffee gods have apparently paid
off! Starbucks is coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland. In June, the first
location will be coming to Disney California Adventure park, with more
locations planned for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort. I am not exactly
sure when the Starbucks locations will open in Walt Disney World, but I am
hoping it won’t be much after the first opening.

Obviously
I am excited about this decision, but I do have some reservations. How is Disney
going to make sure that Starbucks actually fits into the theme of the area?
What type of pricing are we going to have to deal with? Starbucks coffee is
already very pricy, is it going to be even more expensive inside the parks? Also,
is this change going to reach the resorts? Will we be able to get Starbucks
drip coffee at the food courts and restaurants or will that still be the same
coffee they have been serving?

Overall,
I think this is a move in the right direction. Starbucks is much better quality
than what has been offered in the past and will definitely make the coffee
drinkers happy. Also, this makes perfect sense for a company who has long had
alliances with outside food companies (i.e. Nestle, Edy’s, McDonalds etc.).I just hope that Disney considers price,
theme and product availability.